Michael LaRosa on Biden-Obama Relationship Strain and White House Communication Tactics

Strained Biden-Obama Relationship

• 📚 A new book reveals that President Obama reportedly tried to contact Biden for two weeks before Biden dropped his 2024 campaign, with calls going unreturned.
• 🗣️ The two men did not speak until shortly before the Democratic National Convention, four weeks after Biden suspended his campaign.
• 💔 Michael LaRosa, former press secretary for Jill Biden, suggests there has been no love lost between the two families, stemming from Obama not initially selecting Biden as his running mate or successor.
• 🎯 LaRosa believes Jill Biden felt disrespected by the Obamas, which may have influenced Joe Biden's decision to run.

White House Communication Strategy

• 🏛️ The White House responded to Democratic criticism over renovations by releasing a timeline that included historical events, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Obama with the Muslim Brotherhood, Hunter Biden's cocaine discovery, and Trans Visibility Day.
• 😂 LaRosa describes this tactic as brilliant trolling and a funny, aggressive communication strategy that pushes back against opponents.
• 📈 He notes that this White House has rewritten the playbook for public communication, emphasizing a take no prisoners strategy that incorporates humor and aggression.
• 💡 The digital team is praised for its incredible job at communicating and for its aggressive yet playful approach.